Paris : After winning their first trophy of the season on Sunday in the League Cup final and Premier league title all but secured Manchester City go into the biggest game of their campaign against Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals of the Champions League. The focus for Pep Guardiola and his players will now be fixed on defeating the stars of PSG, beginning with first leg in Paris to be played on Thursday (April 29).
The French champions are currently involved in a Ligue 1 title battle with Lille and Monaco, for them it is unusual that the Ligue 1 title is not yet guaranteed. They have won the title seven times in past eight seasons. But the prize they have always craved is the Champions League, they would be very focused on taking the upper hand from their home match.
“We know we are going to suffer in both games and they will have chances,” Guardiola said. “I know the weapons they have. Every person who loves football knows the quality they have. We are not going to deny that, but we are in the semi-final of the Champions League—what do we expect? To play against average players? Of course not.
“PSG do not just have two players who make the difference. There are many other situations. We have to know them and we have to talk about them.”
“We are going to do everything in our power to beat Manchester City,” he said in a pre-match press conference. “I will do everything, professionally speaking, to win this game told Mauricio Pochettino. “My main objective is the Champions League and not the Ballon d’Or. That is not my main priority. “In the future I need to be able to remember that I have won the Champions League once, twice or maybe three times. “This year PSG has really improved and we have worked a lot to keep improving. We really want to win the Champions League.”
Both City and PSG dominate domestically but have never won the Europe’s biggest prize, ehich would ensure that this will be an intense and passionately contested Champions League tie,as both the team are going to come out all guns blazing.
PSG vs. Man City Possible Lineups:
PSG
Navas; Florenzi, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Diallo; Gueye, Paredes; Di Maria, Verratti, Neymar; Mbappe
Man City
Ederson; Walker, Stones, Dias, Cancelo; Rodri, De Bruyne, Gundogan; Mahrez, Sterling, Foden
